Feeler-loom



J. NORTHROP.

FEELER LOOM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG-3, |916- 1,361,897. Patented Dec. 14, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

UNITED STATES V PATENT OFFICE.

JONAS NORTI-IROIE, 0F HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO I-IOPEDALE MANU.

FACTURING COMPANY, OF MILFORD, MASSACHUSETTfi, A CORPORATION OF MASSA- CI-IUSETTS.

FEELER-LOOM.

Application filed August 3,

7 To all whom it may comer 1t:

Be it known that I, J oNAs Nonrrmor, a citizen of the United States, residing Hopedale, in the county of Worcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in FBBlGF'LOOmS; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will e11- able others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The present invention relates to an improvement in feeler looms.

Feeler looms are a type of weft replenishing looms wherein the operation of the weft replenishing mechanism is initiated by a filling feeler mechanism when the latter detects and indicates critical or predetermined exhaustion of the filling in the active shuttle. Such looms are commonly provided with one or more filling detectors which opcrate to cause loom stoppage on the detec tion of filling absence, which may be caused either by the breakage of the filling or by its complete exhaustion. in the most usual construction of feeler loom, especially in. the Northrop type of loom, the weft replenishing mechanism is located'on one side of the loom andthe filling feeler mechanism is located on the opposite side, with a filling detector situated adjacent the filling feeler mechanism. With the filling detector in this situation, the purpose of a feeler loom, namely, the weaving of as nearly perfect cloth as is possible, is sometimes frustrated because of the occasional occurrence Oi trailing filling ends. A trailing filling end is present when the filling breaks at such a distance from the shuttle eye that when the shuttle is boxed at the filling feeler side of the loom, the filling end extends from the shuttle eye (which is then nearer the adjacent selvage) sufiiciently far toward the shed, or even into the shed, to cause the fork of the filling detector to be tilted in the same manner as though an intact filling extended through the length of the shed. The occurrence ofa trailing filling end results in a mispick, that is, in the complete or in the partial absence of a pick in a shed. Mispicks in the cloth impair its quality. A trailing filling end is also present when, after the filling feeler mechanism has indicated predeterminedexhaustion of filling in the shuttle, the weft replenishing mecha- Specification of Letterslatent. Pate t d D 14 1 2 1916. Serial No. 112,921.,

nism is for some reason, as for instance, because of the 1mproper boxing of the shuttle, prevented from operating on the next beatup of the lay. As feeler looms are usually constructed, the non-operation of the weft replenishing mechanism does not prevent the operation of the feeler thread parter, which acts to sever, relatively near the shuttle, the filling end extending from the selvage to the shuttle eye when the shuttle is boxed at the weft replenishing side of the loom 011 the next beat-up after the indication of critical exhaustion of filling. Gonsequently, the shuttle with the severed filling end is picked to the opposite side of the loom, and this filling end, extending as it usually does a few inches into the shed, prevents the filling detector from stopping the loom and is woven into the cloth, causing a mispick and the resulting blemish as described before. if, as is sometimes the case, the cause of'the non-operation of the weft replenishing mechanism persists for several heats of the lay, and there is suificient filling in the shuttle to last for several picks across the shed, the mispicks resulting from the non-operation of the Weft replenishing mechanism will develop into a thin place,a far more serious blemish than a single mispick.

()ne object of the present invention is to prevent the occurrence of trailing end mispicks resulting from the first specified cause, by producing a feeler loom (provided with a single filling detector) in which the filling detector is located adjacent the weft replenishing mechanism. The feeler loom of the present invention has provision for causing loom stoppage if after the indication of critical exhaustion of filling, the filling in the shuttle entirely exhausts during the pick from the filling feeler side of the loom to the weft replenishing side. At the same time the false absence of filling caused by the severing of the outgoing filling end does not result in loom stoppage.

To the accomplishment of this object and such others as may appear, the invention consists in the loom hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating the preferred form of the invention Figure 1 is a side elevation ofa portion of the weft replenishing side of a loom, looking from. the left, showing the application of the feeler thread parter and of the filling detector of the present invention thereto;

, Fig. 2 is a plan of the filling detector; Figs.

showing the positions of its members in v various phases of its operation; Fig. 6 1s a front elevation of a portion of' the weft replenishing end of the loom showing the application thereto of the filling detector and of the stop mechanism of the present invention; and Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic view showing the interrelation of the various mechanisms comprising the present invention.

'The'feeler loom to which the various mechanisms of the present invention are applied may be of any usual or preferred form. The loom, of which a portion is shown in the illustratedembodiment of the invention, is provided at one side with a weft replenishing mechanism, of which the hopper containing the supply of filled bobbins is indicated at 12, and at the opposite side with a filling feeler mechanism, indicated at 13, Fig. 7. The two mechanisms are operatively connected by a hollow rock or change shaft 14 which is journal'ed in suitable brackets and extends across the frontof the loom.

Thehollow chan -e shaft 14 loosely embraces a stop shaft 15 Fig. 6). When the filling in the shuttle 16 has been exhausted to a critical or predetermined extent, the filling feel er mechanism operates in the usual manher to oscillate the change shaft and initiate the Weft replenishing operation. Located 7 onthe same side of the loom with the weft replenishing mechanism is the feeler thread 7 of the lay following replenishment. The

operation of the threadparter is initiated when the change shaft is oscillated by the filling'feeler mechanism. Situated between the thread parter and the weft replenishing "mechanism is the filling detector, indicated at 18. The filling detector is connected with the stopshaft, which in turn is connected at the other side of the loom with the shipper. When the filling-detector detects filling ab- ,sence, it operates in the usual ,manner to cause an oscillationpf the stop shaft, by which the shipper is disconnected from its holding notch and the loom thereby stopped.

Secured tothe right-hand end of the stop shaft is anarm20, on the upper end of which is pivoted a stop mechanism latch 21,

fastened to the loom frame.

which, when the shuttle is improperly boxed on the weft replenishing beat-up of the lay, is adapted to be brought into the path of a stop bunter 22 secured to the front side of the lay 23, and thereby cause an oscillation of the stop shaft to stop the loom. It is thus seen that the feeler loom of the present invention has provision whereby it may be stopped whenever filling absence occurs, and whenever filling replenishment has been called for by critical exhaustion of filling and the replenishing operation is prevented from taking place because of an improperly boxed shuttle. The occurrence of mispicks and thin places resulting from trailing threads is therefore prevented, since the pick may be matched.

The thread parter mechanism of the present invention comprises a series of partcr blades 17 (Fig. 1) located rearwardly of the lay with their forward ends projecting through the dents of the reed 25, a little to one side of the selvage of the cloth being woven. The partcr blades are adapted to cooperate with the reed dents to sever the outgoing filling end during the weft replenishing beat-up of the lay, and on the succeeding beat-up of the lay to sever the in coming filling end. The thread parter of the present invention is constructed and operates in substantially the same manner as the thread parting mechanism shown and described in my eopending application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 98,216, wherein it is claimed. The partcr blades 17 are secured to a block 26 fastened to the inner end of a crank shaft 27. The

parter blades are held raised in normal or inoperative position during regular weavin as shown in Fig. 1, by means of a cam 28 formed on the lower side of a controller 29 pivoted on a stud 30 secured to a bracket 31 The cam 28 presses downwardly on the crank pin of the crank shaft and thereby holds the forward ends of the parter blades elevated. The controller 29 is operativcly connected with a parter blade release lever 33, also pivoted on the stud 80. The forward end of the release lever 33 rests on a shoulder 3-4: of a latch lever 35 pivoted at 36 on the upper end of the change arm 37, which is socured at i s lower end by means of the split collar 38 to the hollow change shaft 11. When critical exhaustion of filling has been indicated by the filling feeler mechanism and the change arm 37 swings to the right, viewing Fig. 1, the shoulder 34; of the latch lever moves from under the forward end of the release lever 33, whereupon the latter descends by force of gravity. The release 7 lever is provided with an obliquely disposed cam slot 40 which receives a pin 11 projecting laterally from the forward end of the controller 29. WVhen the forward end of the release lever descends, it carries downwardly with it the forward or hook-shaped end 42 of the controller into the path of movement of a hunter 43 secured to the upper surfaceof the shuttle box at the weft replenishing side of the lay. The engagement of the hunter 43 with the hook 42 carries the controller forward, the slot 44 formed in the rear end of the controller permitting its movement on the pivot stud 30. The forward movement of the controller disengages the cam 28 from the crank pin 32 of the crank shaft 27; whereupon a spring device, indicated generally at 46, connected with the crank pin 32 acts to raise it and thereby depress the cutting edges 47 of the parter blades 17 toward the shuttle race 48 and in front of the filling. The continued forward movement of the lay carries the filling against the cutting edges 47 of the parter blades and the filling is thereby severed. As the lay beats forward and carries with it the controller by the engagement of the hunter 43 with the hook 42, the pin 41, by pressing against the upper surface of the slot 40, raises the forward end of the release lever; but inasmuch as the change arm 37 does not return until after the beginning of the return beat of the lay, the forward end of the release lever descends before the shoulder 34 can pass under it. This operation of the release lever is permitted by the controller which, as the lay beats back, is released from the hunter 43; and thereupon a spring (not shown) returns the controller to its rearward or normal position. The return of the controller to its normal position raises the forward ends of the parter blades to permit the shuttle to make its flight across the lay. The descent of the forward end of the release lever again positions the hook 42 of the controller in the path of the hunter 43, and the forward ends of the parter blades are again lowered into operative position the lay moves forward on the beat-up following the replenishing operation. The backward beat of the lay after replenishment permits the arm 37 and the latch lever 35 to return to normal position, so that, by the time the forward end of the release lever is again raised, the shoulder 34 of the latch lever is permitted to swing under it. The forward end of the release lever is then held raised on the latch shoulder; the next succeeding backward beat of the lay disengages the bunter 43 from the hook 42, and thereupon the spring (not shown) holds the controller rearwardly, so that thereafter the cam 28 presses downwardly 011 the crank pin 32 to maintain the cutting edges of the parter blades elevated until the next indication of critical filling exhaustion. Thus it is seen that the thread parter operates to sever the outgoing filling end during the replenishing beat-up of the lay and the incoming filling end during the succeeding beat-up of the lay. The thread parting operation takes place about the time the warps are crossing each other for the next shedding. The reed at this time is about an inch from the fell.

The filling detector 18 comprises a slide 50 mounted for reciprocatory forward and backward movements in a guideway 51 secured to the breast beam 52 of the loom.

Pivoted at 53 on the rearward end of the slide 50 is a filling engaging fork 54 having downwardly depending tines 55 which are adapted to pass through the uprights 56 of the usual grid 57, Fig. 1. When the shuttle is boxed at the weft replenishing side of the loom and there is filling present in front of the grid 57, the forward motion of the lay carries the filling against the tines 55 and thereby tilts the fork 54 upon its pivot 53, swinging the forward end or tail 58 of the fork clear of the path of motion of the barb of a hook 59 pivoted at 60 on the upper end of the weft hammer 61, as the latter beats forward. If, however, the filling is not present on this beat-up of the lay, the filling engaging fork is not tilted and the tail 58 of the fork remains in the path of motion of the barb of the hook 59 as the weft hammer beats forward, and, consequently, the hook 59 engages the tail of the fork and through the connection of the latter with the slide 50 pushes the slide forward so that a boss 62 formed on the forward end of the slide forced against the upper end of a stop arm 63 secured to and rising from the stop shaft 15, thereby oscillating the stop shaft to stop the loom. The rearward movements of the slide 50 are limited by the engagement of the shoulder 64 formed on the forward end of the slide with an abutment 65 projecting upwardly from the guideway 51.

As looms are usually constructed the filling detector is arranged and adjusted so that the filling detecting operation takes place just about the time the reed reaches the fell to beat up the last laid weft. The thread parting mechanism employed in conjunction with the other structures of the present invention, operates to part the outgoing and the incoming filling ends at about the time the shed is closing upon the weft thread. which is when the reed is about one inch from the fell, as described above. It is obvious, therefore, that if the filling detector of the present invention were permitted to operate in the usual manner, it would detect filling absence after the thread parting mechanism had operated to part the out going filling end and would stop the loom each time the thread parting mechanism was brought into operation. namely, each time that critical exhaustion of filling was indicated by the filling feeler mechanism. To prevent this unnecessary loom stoppage, the

edges 47 of the parter blades are in transverse alinement with, that is, in thread part-- ing relation with the dents of the reed 25. The relation of the parts at this time is shown in Figs. '2, 3, and 4. At this time the lay is moving forward more rapidly than when it has more nearly reached its forward center. Consequently, the detector fork 54 is swung about its pivot very rapidly, and the momentum thus generated has a tendency to cause the fork to rebound, with the result that the tines are often forced behind the filling. Then on the next pick the filling loops about the tines and the detector fork is thereby rendered inoperative. To prevent thedetector fork from being rendered inoperative from this cause, it is provided with a pin 67 which depends from the fork just forward of its pivot 53. hen the filling has engaged the tines 55 and tilted the detectorfork about its pivot, swinging the tail 58 clear of the barb of the hook 59, the forward movement of the weft'hammer (31 brings a crossbar 68 on the rear end of the hook 59 into engagement with the pin 67, thereby'positively preventing the filling detector'fr'om rebounding or returning toward the grid,(Fig. 1) until the next backward movement of the weft hammer, by which time the shuttle has been picked to the opposite'side of the loom and all ha bility of the illing looping-around the tines 55 has been obviated.

By placing the fillingdetector on the weft replenishing side of the loom and providing means by virtue of which its operation is not affected by the false filling absence which results when the feeler thread parter severs the outgoing filling end, the loom is stopped whenever there is a filling absence, whether or not there is a trailing filling end. This is because when the shuttle is boxed at this side of the loom the shuttle eye is farther from the selvage than when the shuttle is boxed at the other side of the loom. The trailing filling end, therefore, does not extend in front of the tines of the detector :Having thus described the nature and "sco e of the oresent invention what is claimed is H V V ,1. A l0om-hav1ng,. n comlolnation, a weft replenishing mechanism, a filling feeler mechanism, a thread parting mechanism for severing the outgoing and incoming filling ends, and a filling detector for detecting the presence or absence of filling in the shed when the shuttle is boxed at the replenishing side of the loom, said parts being constructed and arranged so that the filling detecting operation takes place on the replenishing beat-up of the lay before the sevcrin g of the outgoing filling end, and the severing of the incoming filling end is performed before the next succeeding detecting operation.

2. A loom having, in combination, a weft replenishing mechanism, a thread parting mechanism located on the replenishing side of the loom, and a filling detector situated between the thread parting mechanism and the weft replenishing mechanism, said parts being constructed and arranged, so that on the replenishing beat-up of the lay the filling detector performs its operation first.

S. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a weft replenishing mechanism, a thread parter arranged to sever the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, and a filling detector located between the weft replenishing mechanism and the thread parter arranged to detect the presence or absence of filling on the replenishing beat-up of the lay before the operation of the thread parter.

&. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a weft replenishing mechanism and a filling feeler mechanism located on opposite sides of the loom, loom stopping means, a thread parter located on the same side of the loom with the weft replenishing mechanism arranged to sever the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, and a filling detector arranged to cause 7 loom stoppage if there is no filling extending from the selvage to the shnttle on the re plen-ishing beat-up of the lay before the thread parter operates.

5. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a weft replenishing mechanism and a filling feeler mechanism located on opposite sides of the 100111, loom stopping means, a thread parter arranged to sever the filling extending from the sel' age to the shuttle on the next beat-up of the lay after the indication of critical exhaustion of filling, and afilling detector located between the weft replenishing mechanism and the thread parter arranged to detect the presence or absence of the filling extending from the selvage to the shuttle before the operation of the thread parter, and if such filling is absent to cause loom stoppage.

6. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a weft replenishing mechanism. a filling feeler mechanism, a thread parter arranged to sever the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, and to sever the incoming filling end on the succeeding beat-up of the lay, and a filling detector arranged to detect the presence or absence of the outgoing filling end before the operation of the thread parter.

7. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a Weft replenishing mechanism, a filling feeler mechanism, a thread parter arranged to sever the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, and a filling detector arranged to detect the presence or absence of filling When the shuttle is boxed on the Weft replenishing side of the loom, said detecting operation taking place on the replenishing beat-up of the lay before the thread parting operation.

8. A loom having, in combination, a Weft replenishing mechanism, a filling feeler mechanism, a thread parting mechanism for severing the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat-up of the lay, a filling de tector on the replenishing side of the loom having a fork for detecting the presence or absence of filling before the thread parting operation, and means for preventing the fork from returning immediately to normal position When the outgoing filling end has been severed.

9. A loom having, in combination, a Weft replenishing mechanism, a filling feeler mechanism, a thread parter arranged to be brought into operation to sever the outgoing filling end, and a filling detector arranged to detect the presence or absence of filling before the operation of the parter mecha nism.

10. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a Weft hammer, a filling detector including a fork, and means connected with the fork arranged for engagement by the Weft hammer each time the fork has been tilted by the filling to continue the tilting movement of the fork during the forward beat of the Weft hammer, and to permit the fork to return to normal position on the return beat of the Weft hammer.

11. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a shuttle, a Weft hammer, a filling detector comprising a detector slide, a filling fork pivoted thereon, and a pin depending from the fork adapted to cooperate With the Weft hammer on the forward beat of the latter, When the detector detects presence of filling, to tilt the fork and maintain it in raised position until the return beat of the Weft hammer.

12. A feeler loom having, in combination, a lay, a thread parter to sever the outgoing filling end on the replenishing beat of the lay, a filling detector comprising a fork, located on the same side of the loom with the thread parter, arranged to determine the presence or absence of filling before the operation of the thread parter, and means to prevent the return of the fork to its normal position until after the return beat of the lay has carried the filling out of the path of the return movement of the fork.

13. A loom having, in combination, a lay, a Weft hammer, loom stopping devices, a filling detector including a pivoted fork having provision by virtue of which it is engaged and tilted by the Weft hammer on each forward beat thereof Whenever filling is present, and causes the operation of the loom stopping devices by movement of the Weft hammer Whenever the filling is absent.

JONAS NORTHROP, 

